PRESENTER BIO:

Edna M. Bland is a certified theatre arts educator, arts integration specialist, teaching artist and professional puppeteer. As a puppeteer, she was mentored by Caroll Spinney, “Big Bird” of Sesame Street. She has honed her craft at The Kennedy Center’s CETA and VSA programs, Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and Lincoln Center Education’s Teaching Artist program at The Juilliard School. As an advocate for arts education, she serves on the Florida Association for Theatre Education board and Florida Alliance for Arts Education executive board; District 2 Jr. Thespian Chair and Vice President of the Puppeteers of America. Edna is the creator of Lovely Day Creative Arts and teachers at a performing arts middle school where she created the only puppetry arts elective class in the nation. She has a MFA degree in Entertainment Creative Writing and a MFS in Entertainment Business and currently resides in Sanford, Florida.